Vacuum cup



R. s. THOMPSON ET AL VACUUM CUP Filed March" 28 1922 C62/rl I'. 7080116 ,3 i/ENTORS Patent July 3, 1923...

' 'I `i TED PATENT OFFICE.

,RALPH S. THOMPSON lAND CARL F. DOSCHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. A

VACUUM CUP.

Application led March 28, 1922. Serial No. 547,416.

4To all lwhom it may concern:

Beit known that we, RALPH S. THOMPSON and CARL F. DoscHER, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Cups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in vacuum massagecups, which may, if so desired, be self applied to the body to produce a suction pressure and may be so manipulated as to produce a massage eflect in conjunction with the vacuum pressure.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a vacuum c'up structure made in the main of relatively soft or lresilient rubber having a manipulating head at the/small end and at the large end a diaphragm serving as a closure therefor and of relatively un ieldable material. The diaphragm is of a dyiam'eter approximating that of the mouth of the -cup and is provided in the plane of the outer face of the diaphragm, which coincides with the outer margins of the cup, with concentric series of alternate ridges '4 and grooveswith the vridges about flush with the outer face of the diaphragm and the grooves sunken below such surface so that when the cup is applied to the flesh the ridges will bear against the flesh of the user and passages extending through the inner walls of the grooves communicate with the interior of the cup will, upon pressure applied to the small end of the cup, and the yielding of the latter produce vacuum conditions within the cup, which conditions, after production and on being maintained, establish such vacuum conditions in direct contact with the flesh through the grooves and communicating passages leading there- The body ofthe cup and all but the diaphragm being composed of relatively soft rubber will readily yield to pressure tending tomove the small end of the cup toward the diaphragm. and the small end of the cup being provided with an air 'passage capable of being closed by the hand of the operator will maintain the vacuum conditions so long as the operator desires. Such vacuum conditions may, however, be relieved at any time by the removal of the hand of the operator.

The invention will be best understood from' a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, with the understanding that" the invention is not confined to any strict conformity to the showing of the drawing, but may be changed and modified solong as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims.

In the drawings Figure 'lais a 'diametric section through i the massage instrument.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail section illustrating in part the manner of manufacturing the cup. Referring to the drawings, there is shown a vacuum cup 1 having a main body portion 2 which may be constructed of relatively soft or resilient rubber.

The vacuum cup is hollow, with a head or hand hold 3 at one end and-a diaphragm y or closure 4 extending across the othersend,

such diaphragm being formed of relatively hard or unyielding rubber or other material which will-not be unpleasant or harmful to the flesh of the user.

The outer face of the diaphragm 4 is subl stantially in one plane substantially flush with the outer margins of the cup and provided with 'a series of ridges- 6 and grooves 7 arranged concentric one with the other with each groove-having a circular seriesof` aphragm 4 there is 'a relatively large lopening or passage-,9 permitting t cup to be applied to portions of the body where accommodations are necessary for protuberances f more or less size.

tending axially through the hand hold 3 by which the duct is manipulated, is' a` tapering air duct A having an enlargement 11 at the outer end, the enlargement 11 being ot suiicient size to accommodate a finger of the hand of the user.

The ridges 6 and grooves 7 are arranged concentrically in` alternate order and through each groove 7 is a circularly arranged series of passages 8 through which passages -the interior of the cup and the outer :tace of the diaphragm t counicate by Way of the passages 8.

lln order to integrally unite the diaph d at its edges with the edges of the cup 2,

the diaphragm 4 is vulcanized to the inner surface oit the cup at the margins thereof, as

' indicated at 12 so that no leakage may occur trom the interior ot the cup, especially when the passage 10 is held closed by the finger of the operator.

When the vacuum cup or' massage device I is operated, the skeleton diaphra 4 is pressed upon the person of the user with the opening 11 unclosed, and because of the resiliency of the walls 2, the head 3 is moved into the cavity Within the body 2 since this causes the forces of the air through the pas sages or duct 10 trom the end 11 thereot, the finger of the operator being in the meantime moved out of the path et escaping air.

. The forcing of the head 3 into the interior of the cup 2 and the pressing of the head 3 into the cup 2 produces vacuum conditions.

within `:the cup 2 and these vacuum condi' tions aremaintained by the placing of the i nger of the operator upon the cavity l1.

' relieved whenever the is removed from the cup 11 The edect of the vacuum conditions may be enhanced by a pulling or rocking of the cup 2 thus producing a massage edect, which edect may be broken at an time by removin the finger from the cavity 11.

he edect of the massagecup 2 has been found to be greatly improved by the combined-suction and lmeading eect produced, and such edect is found is to be very benecial for reducing' superuous esh. t 'llhe combind vacuum edect' and pullilfig :accesar or agitation causes a rapid reduction of accumulations of desh in various parts ot the 'body to the benet of the patient undergoing the vacuum cup treatment, whether such treatmentbe applied to the head, trunk, or extremities of the body.

What is claimed is 1. A vacuum massage cup comprising a cup-shaped body of resilient material with an axial termination endingi in a hand receiving head having an ar uct leading axially' therethrough; said cup having an ex- 2. A' vacuum massage device comprising a cupshaped body ot resilient material with one end' reduced into a hand hold and traversed by an axial duct to :form an air duct, and the other end terminatingin an expand-4 ed body portion with a relativelyA broad bearing surface, and 'a diaphragm of relatively unyieldin material extending across the mouth of t e cup and formed on its outer face into alternate ridges and grooves with the ridges in the plane ot the mouth of `the cup and the grooves having passages therethrough into the interior of the cup.

3. A. vacuum massagel cup comprising a cup-shaped body of vresilient material with an axial rtermination. ending in a hand receiving head having an 'air duct leading axially therethrough, said ycup having an expanding body portion communicating with said duct, a diaphra extending across the mouth of the u? with said diaphragm having its outer face formed into an extended series ot alternate ribs and grooves with air passages following the contour of the ooves, said daphra being vulcanized to the hollow body `of the cup and formed thereby intoa relatively rigid structure.

4L. A vacuum message device comprising a cup-shaped body of resilient material with one end reduced Into a hand hold and traversed by an axial duct to form an air duct and provided with a nger reeein'ng cavity for closing the duct, and the end of the body member remote from the finger redit ceiving cavity being formed into alternate.

ridges and grooves with the ridges in the' plane of the mouth of the cup, and theV grooves having4 passages therethrough into the'interior of the cup and the diaphragm being relatively rigid.v

5. A/vacuum massage cup comprising a cup-shaped bogiy of resilient material hav ing an expand face provided with coneenf iro rid es and grooves being formed into a, hand hol with an axial passage therethrough terminating in n cavity constituting a finger receptacle whereby to close the duct to thus reteln vacuum conditions established in the cup by pressure exerted thereon.

In testimony whereof, we :rmx our signatures hereto.

RAL? s. 'mor/resem CARL r. prisoner. 

